Carson McDowell Team Gets Warmed up for 2012 Maracycle

30 April 2012

A six strong team of cyclists from Carson McDowell have recently begun a gruelling training regime to prepare them for the 2012 Co-operation Ireland Maracycle. The Maracycle is a physically demanding event that takes place over the weekend of 23rd and 24th June and will see participants setting off from Queen's University P.E.C on Saturday morning and cycling directly to Dublin City University (a distance of 110 miles!). On Sunday morning the group then cycle back to Belfast along the same route, which is a challenge that is sure to test even the fittest of participants!

By taking part in the 220 mile Maracycle, the staff members will be raising much needed funds for both Co-operation Ireland and Macmillan Cancer Support. In preparation for the main event, the team (whose members are Darren Tombs, Graeme McKee, David McAleese, Niall Hargan, Lisa Bryson and her husband Shaun) recently took part in the ‘Big Bike 2012' event. The ‘Big Bike' is a 22 mile cycle, following the route used for ‘The Celtic Chrono', Northern Ireland's only pre-Olympic event, which starts and ends in the grounds of Stormont Estate.

Speaking about the team's efforts to prepare for the Maracycle, partner Darren Tombs said "everyone has been busily training away on their own up to now and the Celtic Chrono event was our first chance to get together as a group and see where we are all at. Everyone's hard work and training are undoubtedly paying off, as cycling back from Bangor to Belfast into a very strong headwind we were well and truly put to the test and we came through more or less unscathed ".

Pictured above are the team members as they took part in 'The Big Bike' in preparation for their mammoth Maracycle at the end of June.